Simply stated, Joe Farroba IS Basketball in the MASCAC!  A 1975 graduate of Boston State College, Coach Farroba played under Celtics' legend Jim Luscatoff and participated in the inaugural NCAA Division III Tournament.  Joe came to Bridgewater State and to the MASCAC as an assistant coach under former BSC Head Coach Mark Champagne in 1986.  Prior to that Joe served as the head coach at Medfield (MA) High School, compiling a string of very successful seasons.  Farroba's '85-'86 MHS squad advanced to the Eastern Mass. finals, losing a heartbreaker to eventual state champion Cohasset.  For his efforts Joe was named both the Boston Globe Division III Coach of the Year and the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association Division III Coach of the Year.

Since taking the reins of the Bears program in 1992, Coach Farroba and success have become synonymous on the hardwood.  Under his tutelage, the Bears have reached postseason play five times, including this past season when BSC captured the MASCAC Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III New England Regional.  The NCAA tournament bid was the Bears' first postseason appearance since the 1998-99 season when Bridgewater advanced to the NCAA Northeast Regional following their stunning upset of Salem State in the MASCAC Tournament title game.

Named Coach of the Year in the MASCAC by his fellow coaches in 1998, Coach Farroba prides himself on a style of basketball that has been dubbed, aptly, "Bearball".  A simple definition would be "a group of  well-prepared overachievers who scrap and fight for forty minutes every night while continuing to represent Bridgewater State in a positive fashion".  This brand of basketball has produced 151 victories over the past twelve seasons as he is the all-time winningest coach in BSC men's basketball history.

Coach Farroba is a noted lecturer in the New England region and is the director of Bears' Basketball Camp on the BSC campus.  A career educator, Coach Farroba is employed by the Medfield Public School system as a Physical Education teacher.  He and his wife, Linda, are the parents of Justine and Johnny.   

Coach Donovan enters his third season under the title of "Associate Head Coach" of the Bears and is serving as Coach Farroba's top aide for the tenth season.  Since joining the BSC staff in 1997, Coach Donovan has been primarily involved in the areas of scouting of opponents, coordination of the Bears' defensive schemes and the  development of the squad's "post players".  Among his stellar students are former MASCAC Player of the Year Harry Grabert ('02) and 2-time All-MASCAC performers Peter Santos ('05), and David Rukstalis ('06).  All three players rank among the top fifteen 1,000-point scorers in BSC men's basketball history.   A noted speaker at basketball camps and clinics up and down the East Coast, Mike is known as a true teacher of the fundamentals of the game, largely based upon his tutelage under coaching great Joe O'Brien as a member of the great Division II teams at Assumption college in the mid-70's.  In addition, almost 30 years as a Basketball professional (both coaching and officiating) make his extensive contacts invaluable to the ongoing recruiting effort.  "Coach D" serves as the college's Assistant Equipment Manager where he oversees the Football, Wrestling and Swimming & Diving teams' equipment needs.  He and his wife, Marcia, are the parents of former BSC Women's Lacrosse Coach Josh Hexter (now the top assistant at Duke University)

Jim O'Connell is in his sixth season as a member of the Bears' coaching staff.  A 1994 graduate of Providence College, O'Connell earned a Bachelors degree in Political Science and was the head manager for the Providence College men's basketball team while an undergraduate from 1991-1994.  Last fall, Jim earned his Master's degree in Public Administration from Bridgewater State.

In 1995 O'Connell was named interim head coach of the Colby Community College basketball team and most recently has been on the staff at Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts from 1995 to 2001.

Jim is presently a Systems Analyst for the Town Westwood. He resides in Franklin, Massachusetts with his wife, Janine.

Matt Phippard is in his third season at Bridgewater State as he joined the Bears' coaching staff prior to the 2004-2005 campaign.  He is a 1997 graduate of Arizona State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science.  Matt is also a 1992 graduate of Duxbury High School where he played on the varsity basketball team alongside former NBA center Bill Curly.

Coach Phippard  began his coaching career at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix, Arizona as he was the JV boy's basketball coach from 1996 to 1997.  He then returned to his hometown of Duxbury to coach the freshman boy's team from 1997 to 1998.  In 1999 he began a two-year stint as the head varsity coach for Sun Valley High School in Mesa, Arizona in the program's first season of existence.  Matt came back to New England in 2001 and was an assistant varsity basketball coach at Hingham High School for a two year stretch.

Matt is currently an 8th grade Science Teacher at the Hingham Middle School. He presently resides in Plymouth, Massachusetts with his wife Becca.

Brian Ferris is in his second full season at BSC as he joined the staff at the end of the 05-06 season.  Brian is a 1997 graduate of Curry  College where he played two years of basketball under Jerry Morelli and Pat Skerry.  He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Politics and History with a minor in English from Curry.  Brian was a Second Team All-Conference Selection and was the Curry College and the Commonwealth Coast Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1997.  Brian had the opportunity to play for Coach Farroba in Europe in the summer of 1997 with the New England All - Stars.  Brian also received his Associate Degree in Sciences at Massasoit Community College in 1995 where he played two years under Coach Mark Ottavianelli and was an All - New England Selection and Colonial States Athletic Conference All Star in 1995. Most recently, Brian received his Masters Degree in General Educational Studies from Fitchburg State College in 2001. Brian is a 1992 graduate of Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton.

Coach Ferris began his coaching career during the 1997 - 98 season at Curry College under Pat Skerry where he spent one season. In 2002 - 03, he was the Head Freshman Coach and Varsity Assistant at Bridgewater - Raynham Regional High School. Most recently, he was the Head Coach at the Raynham Middle School for two seasons before joining the staff at BSC.

Brian is currently an 8th grade History teacher at Raynham Middle School, as well as a History teacher at the Bridgewater - Raynham Alternative High School. He resides in Taunton, MA.